Daily Archives: July 17, 2019

2019-07-17: News Headlines

Lindsey German (2019-07-17). Britain is following Trump and escalating the threat of war with Iran. mronline.org The British Navy's seizing of an Iranian oil tanker shows Britain following Trump, trading in diplomacy for the threat of military confrontation, argues Lindsey German | Source

Khury Petersen-Smith (2019-07-17). Iran's Not the Aggressor, the US Is. counterpunch.org It's easy to be confused about what's happening between the U.S. and Iran. On July 10, President Trump again accused Iran of violating the Obama-era nuclear deal, in a tweet that he concluded by promising to increase U.S. sanctions "substantially." Similarly, headlines — such as a recent New York Times article that originally proclaimed, "With More

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2019-07-16). How Iran's Soviet Era Air Defense System Shot Down America's Global Hawk UAV over Strait of Hormuz. globalresearch.ca On the night of June 19-20, Iran shot down a US Global Hawk reconnaissance UAV over the Strait of Hormuz. | President Trump responded by calling for retaliatory air strikes against Iran. | In response to the President and Commander in Chief's …

Staff (2019-07-16). Nuclear Agency Weighs Reducing Inspections to Cut Costs. truthdig.com The proposal would require a vote by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which has a majority of members appointed or reappointed by Donald Trump.

Nicky Reid (2019-07-16). Nukes For Peace? counterpunch.org Surrounded by trigger happy Tonkinesque gunboats and drowning in debt, the Islamic Republic of Iran has made the risky decision to play the last card left in their deck; to defy the P5+1 Deal in order to save the P5+1 Deal. It's a hell of a gambit but it already has those pussies in the More

Mark Gruenberg (2019-07-16). House opposes Trump's Iran war threat, repeals Bush 'war on terror' authorization. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—By mostly party-line tallies, the Democratic-run U.S. House opposed President Donald Trump's presumed march towards war against Iran. Lawmakers also voted to repeal two prior war-making measures, approved in 2001 and 2002, originally OK'd for Republican President George W. Bush's so-called "war on terror" and his invasion of Iraq. The House vote against Trump's Iran …

Gary Leupp (2019-07-16). What Right Has Britain to Seize an Iranian Tanker Off Spain? counterpunch.org "We have reason to believe that the Grace 1 was carrying its shipment of crude oil to the Banyas Refinery in Syria. That refinery is the property of an entity that is subject to European Union sanctions against Syria." — Fabian Picardo, chief minister of Gibraltar "[Praise for Gibraltar and the British marines] for this More

Hans Stehling (2019-07-16). Trump, Netanyahu, Pence and Bolton: The Four Horsemen of the Nuclear Apocalypse. globalresearch.ca These are the demented Gang of Four who are determined to destroy 74 years of international cooperation for peace by waging a completely unwarranted war against Iran in a bid for global supremacy, and oil, that will provoke nuclear war …

Ahmed Abdulkareem (2019-07-16). Seeking New Routes for Oil Delivery Saudi Arabia Tightens Its Grip on Eastern Yemen. mintpressnews.com Saudi Arabia is consolidating its military hold on eastern Yemen's al-Mahrah province, hoping to use the area for an oil pipeline that would bypass the Strait of Hormuz.

unitedEditor (2019-07-16). Is Russia the Right Mediator In the Conflict Between Iran and the US? uwidata.com With a first ever visit by a Japanese prime minister to Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, many Iranian commentators were quick to declare that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe the best hope for successful mediation between the US and Iran, since Tokyo has warm relations with both sides. Some have argued that pacifist Japan has …

teleSUR (2019-07-16). Iran's Supreme Leader Threatens to Respond to UK's 'Piracy'. telesurenglish.net Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, stated on Tuesday that the Islamic Republic would respond to Great Britain's 'piracy' over the seizure of an Iranian oil tanker off the coast of Gibraltar. | RELATED: | Unlike US, UK Foreign Secretary Wants To Save Iran Nuclear Deal | The religious leader called on Great Britain to immediately release the Iranian oil tanker and end their hostilities towards the Islamic Republic. | "Evil Britain commits piracy and steals our ship … an…

Staff (2019-07-16). As US Modernizes Its Nuclear Arsenal, Costs and Risks Soar. truthout.org On July 16, 1945, the U.S. detonated the first-ever nuclear device in the New Mexico desert. Less than a month later, it dropped two more atomic bombs, destroying Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing and injuring more than 200,000 civilians. | Today, 74 years later, President Donald Trump has elbowed his way to the precipice of war threatening fire, fury and obliteration against one state that has nuclear weapons (North Korea) and one that doesn't (Iran). In June, shortly after Trump reportedly called off a military strike against Iran with just 1…

Ethan Indigo Smith (2019-07-16). Nuclear Experimentation: Year 74. globalresearch.ca Nuclear experimentation began with the first detonation of the Manhattan Project. The first detonation began the unstable and unceasing chain reaction that is the nuclear era. The scientists involved in the detonation experiment actually debated on whether or not it …

Elijah J. Magnier (2019-07-16). The UK Must Release the Iranian Tanker; The UAE's Mission to Tehran. globalresearch.ca Before Emmanuel Bonne, the special envoy of the French President Emmanuel Macron to Iran, visited President Hassan Rouhani, he promised to deal with the " Grace I" crisis between Iran and the UK. Iran considered the UK …

Paul Gottinger (2019-07-16). FBI Surveillance of Iranians After the 1988 Downing of Flight 655. globalresearch.ca This month marks 31 years since the U.S. Navy ship, the USS Vincennes, shot down Iran Air flight 655, killing 290 Iranian civilians, including 66 children. The downing of the airliner on July 3, 1988 remains one of the …

RT (2019-07-16). Bikini Atoll has 1,000x radiation of Chernobyl decades after nuclear testing — study. rt.com Radiation levels in the Marshall Islands, where the US government tested its nuclear arsenal during the Cold War, are even higher than those found in Fukushima and Chernobyl, according to a newly released peer-reviewed study.

Conn Hallinan (2019-07-16). The World Needs a Water Treaty. counterpunch.org During the face-off earlier this year between India and Pakistan over a terrorist attack that killed more than 40 Indian paramilitaries in Kashmir, New Delhi made an existential threat to Islamabad. The weapon was not India's considerable nuclear arsenal, but one still capable of inflicting ruinous destruction: water. More

Vijay Prashad (2019-07-15). Trump murdered the Iran Deal—and Europe isn't too happy about it. mronline.org During the July 14, 2019 meeting between France, Germany, and the UK to discuss their response to the U.S. withdrawal from the Iran Nuclear Deal, President Hassan Rouhani remarked that Iran is "always ready for negotiation." Iran, he said, urges the U.S. to "abandon bullying." | Source

Jason Ditz (2019-07-15). UK Says They Will Release Iranian Oil Tanker After Guarantees of Destination. theantimedia.com British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt spoke with his Iranian counterpart, Javad Zarif, over the phone on Saturday.

Elijah J. Magnier (2019-07-15). "Radiating Insecurity": Will Europe Stand with "US Hooliganism", or Stand by Its Treaty Obligations to Iran? globalresearch.ca Since the Iranian revolution took power in 1979, the world stood against Iran because it is an "Islamic Republic", unwilling to acknowledge and bow to US dominance of the Middle East and the entire world. I say the world because …

Fight Back (2019-07-14). Minneapolis stands with Iran, Venezuela, Cuba against U.S. sanctions regime. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – "Workers of the world, unite! Not 'workers of America unite' or 'workers who look like us, pray like us or love like us unite.' It's all workers," said union organizer David Gilbert-Pederson of Minnesota Workers United. "We have more in common with the tailor in Tehran than the bankers who crashed our economy. We have more in common with the bus driver in Caracas than the politicians locking kids in cages." | Gilbert-Pederson spoke to a protest on Lake Street, July 13, of over 80 people gathered to oppose recent U.S. war threats against Iran and Venezuela. Organized by the Minnesota Peace Action…

unitedEditor (2019-07-14). The Strategic Importance of the Strait of Hormuz and Global Energy Security. uwidata.com The principle governing the world oil market is, simply put, supply and demand. When there is a balance between supply and demand in the oil market, prices remain stable. Based on assessments by geopolitical theorists, an open conflict in the Strait of Hormuz, and even the threat of a possible conflict, can have dangerous consequences …

unitedEditor (2019-07-13). Yet another provocation in Hormuz Strait. uwidata.com The conflict between the UK and Iran around the oil tanker Grace 1 runs the risk of growing over into a war of tankers. CNN said on July 11 quoting a source at the U.S. Department of Defense that five Iranian naval vessels had approached the British Heritage tanker during the latter ship's transition from …

Alex Emmons (2019-07-12). House Says Trump Can't Go to War With Iran Unless Congress Approves. theintercept.com Democrats in the House of Representatives on Friday passed an amendment that would sharply restrict President Donald Trump's ability to attack Iran without congressional authorization, attaching the language to an annual must-pass defense bill. | The measure, which was sponsored by California Democrat Ro Khanna and Florida Republican Matthew Gaetz, would prohibit the Pentagon from spending money on any military action against Iran unless Congress has declared war or passed a resolution authorizing the administration to use force. The bill contains an exception for emergency situations in which U.S. armed forces a…

Mazda Majidi (2019-07-11). Irán sale del acuerdo nuclear: ødebería preocuparse el mundo? liberationnews.org Desde principios de julio, el presidente iraní Hassan Rouhani y otros funcionarios han estado anunciando la intención de Irán de ir más allá de las restricciones establecidas por el Plan de Acción Integral Conjunto (JCPOA por sus siglas en inglés).

unitedEditor (2019-07-11). Would Blacklisting Iran's IRGC and Increasing US Military Presence in the Persian Gulf Lead to Hostilities in the Strait of Hormuz? uwidata.com PART I Washington's recent designation of Iran's elite, 125,000-member IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) as an FTO (Foreign Terrorist Organization) was more or less overlooked in the Western media as a typical story and lost in the short attention span of the daily news cycle. Without sounding too alarmist, the story actually signaled a rather …

pip.hinman (2019-07-11). War games promoted as 'cash splash' for war-weary public. greenleft.org.au Queensland's tourism boss Daniel Gschwind has welcomed the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan to Brisbane for the biannual US-Australia war games as a fantastic economic opportunity — a "cash splash for Queensland". | "Friendly visitors, eager to explore, pent-up demand to have a bit of relaxation and see a bit more of Queensland … the old stereotypes don't apply here necessarily anymore", he enthused on July 6. | The old stereotypes? He was likely referring to persistent a…

pip.hinman (2019-07-11). Australia must oppose war on Iran. greenleft.org.au Prime Minister Scott Morrison has pointedly refused to rule out Australian participation in a United States-led war on Iran. Shadow foreign affairs minister Penny Wong has also remained insistently equivocal when pressed to disavow any such military alliance. | Morrison and Wong have condemned Iran as the "leading state sponsor of terror" that has worked to "destabilise" the Greater Middle East. This is the familiar idiom of the US foreign policy establishment as it makes its case for the latest imperial excursion. | It is supposedly in our name that Morrison would send Australians to kill and die in Iran. A war…

Mazda Majidi (2019-07-10). Iran breaks out of nuclear accord: Should the world be concerned? liberationnews.org Since early July, President Hassan Rouhani and several other officials have been announcing Iran's intention to start going beyond the restrictions set by the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

Staff (2019-07-09). "This Is Not a Surprise": U.S. Sanctions and Saber Rattling Led to Iran's Renewed Uranium Enrichment. democracynow.org In ongoing fallout from the Trump administration's decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear accord, the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed on Monday that Iran has begun enriching uranium above the level agreed to by the 2015 nuclear deal. Iran has threatened to continue to increase their production of enriched uranium if European signatories of the nuclear deal do not help ease the impact of the U.S. sanctions. We speak with Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the new think tank, the Quincy Institute, and author of "Losing an Enemy: Obama, Iran, and the Triumph of Diplomacy."

Mazda Majidi (2019-07-08). Peligro de guerra en Irán: la maquinaria de guerra de EE. UU. "Amartillada y cargada" liberationnews.org Una nueva guerra de agresión de Estados Unidos en el Medio Oriente apenas se ha sorteado.

Norman Stockwell (2019-06-29). The Conflict with Iran Is Rooted in Two Views of History. progressive.org Author and retired Army colonel Andrew Bacevich puts the current flare in tensions with Iran in historical context.

Reese Erlich (2019-06-28). Foreign Correspondent: The 'Trump Doctrine' Isn't Working. progressive.org The Iranian government saw the President's vacillation as a sign of weakness, one journalist tells me: "Iran was ready to retaliate on an unbelievable scale."

Paul Kawika Martin (2019-06-28). Most Senators Oppose War with Iran Without Congressional Approval. peaceaction.org Washington, D.C. — June 28, 2019 — In response to the Senate voting 50-40 in favor of an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to block funding for military action against Iran without congressional approval, Paul Kawika Martin, Senior Director for Policy and Political Affairs at Peace Action, released the following statement: "Because …

Max Blumenthal (2019-06-28). US officials join bizarre Iranian cult MEK in rallying for regime change. thegrayzone.com The exiled Iranian MEK regime change cult rallied in front of the US State Department, just after Trump backtracked from…

Peace Action (2019-06-25). Peace Action Endorses Ilhan Omar for Congress. peaceaction.org Washington, DC — June 25, 2019 — Peace Action has announced its endorsement of Ilhan Omar for Congress in Minnesota's 5th Congressional District. Peace Action is a national grassroots organization working to advance nuclear disarmament, promote government spending priorities that support human needs, encourage real security through international cooperation and human rights, and support nonmilitary …

Peace Action (2019-06-24). Peace Action Endorses Kara Eastman for Congress. peaceaction.org Washington, DC — June 24, 2019 — Peace Action has announced its endorsement of Kara Eastman for Congress in Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District. Peace Action is a national grassroots organization working to advance nuclear disarmament, promote government spending priorities that support human needs, encourage real security through international cooperation and human rights, and support nonmilitary …

Jon Rainwater (2019-06-20). Striking Iran Now Could Spark a Major War. peaceaction.org Washington, D.C. — June 20, 2019 — In response to reports that the Trump administration is considering strikes on Iran in response to the downing of a U.S. surveillance drone, Jon Rainwater, Executive Director of Peace Action, released the following statement: "The United States has stumbled into a perilous situation. If, for example, the U.S. …

Jon Rainwater (2019-06-17). Sending More Troops to the Middle East is Adding Fuel to the Fire. peaceaction.org Washington, D.C. — June 17, 2019 — In response to the Trump administration's decision to send an additional 1,000 troops to the Middle East amidst escalating tensions with Iran, Jon Rainwater, Executive Director of Peace Action, released the following statement: "Rather than pursuing diplomatic off ramps to avert conflict with Iran, the Trump administration is …

Peace Action (2019-06-17). Peace Action Endorses Ayanna Pressley for Congress. peaceaction.org Washington, DC — June 17, 2019 — Peace Action, the nation's largest grassroots peace organization, and its affiliate Massachusetts Peace Action, endorsed Ayanna Pressley for Massachusetts' 7th district. Peace Action is a national grassroots organization working to advance nuclear disarmament, promote government spending priorities that support human needs, encourage real security through international cooperation and …

Jon Rainwater (2019-06-14). High Tensions in the Persian Gulf Require 'Maximum Restraint,' Not 'Maximum Pressure'. peaceaction.org Washington, D.C. — June 14, 2019 — In response to heightened tensions in the Persian Gulf resulting from recent attacks on oil tankers and escalatory U.S. policies towards Iran, Jon Rainwater, Executive Director of Peace Action, released the following statement: "Recent attacks on oil tankers in the Persian Gulf and the resulting increase in tensions …

2019-07-17: Social Media Postees

Iran's Not the Aggressor, the US Is
Khury Petersen-Smith | counterpunch.org | 2019-07-17
It's easy to be confused about what's happening between the U.S. and Iran. On July 10, President Trump again accused Iran of violating the Obama-era nuclear deal, in a tweet that he concluded by promising to increase U.S. sanctions "substantially." Similarly, headlines — such as a recent New York Times article that originally proclaimed,…
counterpunch.org/2019/07/17/irans-not-the-aggressor-the-us-is/

Britain is following Trump and escalating the threat of war with Iran
Lindsey German | mronline.org | 2019-07-17
The British Navy's seizing of an Iranian oil tanker shows Britain following Trump, trading in diplomacy for the threat of military confrontation, argues Lindsey German | Source…
mronline.org/2019/07/17/britain-is-following-trump-and-escalating-the-threat-of-war-with-iran/

Trump, Netanyahu, Pence and Bolton: The Four Horsemen of the Nuclear Apocalypse
Hans Stehling | globalresearch.ca | 2019-07-16
These are the demented Gang of Four who are determined to destroy 74 years of international cooperation for peace by waging a completely unwarranted war against Iran in a bid for global supremacy, and oil, that will provoke nuclear war …
globalresearch.ca/trump-netanyahu-pence-bolton-4-horsemen-nuclear-apocalypse/5683687

Trump Murdered the Iran Deal—And Europe Isn't Too Happy About It
Vijay Prashad | commondreams.org | 2019-07-16
When Donald Trump campaigned for the U.S. presidency in 2016, he would frequently attack the JCPOA as Obama's folly. (Photo: Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/trump_26.jpeg
commondreams.org/views/2019/07/16/trump-murdered-iran-deal-and-europe-isnt-too-happy-about-it?cd-origin=rss

Nukes For Peace?
Nicky Reid | counterpunch.org | 2019-07-16
Surrounded by trigger happy Tonkinesque gunboats and drowning in debt, the Islamic Republic of Iran has made the risky decision to play the last card left in their deck; to defy the P5+1 Deal in order to save the P5+1 Deal. It's a hell of a gambit but it already has those pussies in the…
counterpunch.org/2019/07/16/nukes-for-peace/

How Iran's Soviet Era Air Defense System Shot Down America's Global Hawk UAV over Strait of Hormuz
Prof Michel Chossudovsky | globalresearch.ca | 2019-07-16
On the night of June 19-20, Iran shot down a US Global Hawk reconnaissance UAV over the Strait of Hormuz. | President Trump responded by calling for retaliatory air strikes against Iran. | In response to the President and Commander in Chief's …
globalresearch.ca/how-irans-soviet-era-air-defense-system-shot-down-americas-global-hawk-uav-over-strait-of-hormuz/5683697

Iran's Supreme Leader Threatens to Respond to UK's 'Piracy'
telesurenglish.net | 2019-07-16
Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, stated on Tuesday that the Islamic Republic would respond to Great Britain's 'piracy' over the seizure of an Iranian oil tanker off the coast of Gibraltar. | RELATED: | Unlike US, UK Foreign Secretary Wants To Save Iran Nuclear Deal | The religious leader called on Great Britain to immediately release the Iranian oil tanker and end their hostilities towards the Islamic Republic. | "Evil Britain commits piracy and steals our ship … an…
telesurenglish.net/news/Irans-Supreme-Leader-Threatens-to-Respond-to-UKs-Piracy-20190716-0004.html

As US Modernizes Its Nuclear Arsenal, Costs and Risks Soar
Staff | truthout.org | 2019-07-16
On July 16, 1945, the U.S. detonated the first-ever nuclear device in the New Mexico desert. Less than a month later, it dropped two more atomic bombs, destroying Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing and injuring more than 200,000 civilians. | Today, 74 years later, President Donald Trump has elbowed his way to the precipice of war threatening fire, fury and obliteration against one state that has nuclear weapons (North Korea) and one that doesn't (Iran). In June, shortly after Trump reportedly called off a military strike against Iran with just 1…
truthout.org/articles/as-us-modernizes-its-nuclear-arsenal-costs-and-risks-soar/

Nuclear Experimentation: Year 74
Ethan Indigo Smith | globalresearch.ca | 2019-07-16
Nuclear experimentation began with the first detonation of the Manhattan Project. The first detonation began the unstable and unceasing chain reaction that is the nuclear era. The scientists involved in the detonation experiment actually debated on whether or not it …
globalresearch.ca/nuclear-experimentation-year-74/5683689

Nuclear Agency Weighs Reducing Inspections to Cut Costs
Staff | truthdig.com | 2019-07-16
The proposal would require a vote by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which has a majority of members appointed or reappointed by Donald Trump.
truthdig.com/articles/nuclear-agency-weighs-reducing-inspections-to-cut-costs/

The World Needs a Water Treaty
Conn Hallinan | counterpunch.org | 2019-07-16
During the face-off earlier this year between India and Pakistan over a terrorist attack that killed more than 40 Indian paramilitaries in Kashmir, New Delhi made an existential threat to Islamabad. The weapon was not India's considerable nuclear arsenal, but one still capable of inflicting ruinous destruction: water.
counterpunch.org/2019/07/16/the-world-needs-a-water-treaty/

Seeking New Routes for Oil Delivery Saudi Arabia Tightens Its Grip on Eastern Yemen
Ahmed Abdulkareem | mintpressnews.com | 2019-07-16
Saudi Arabia is consolidating its military hold on eastern Yemen's al-Mahrah province, hoping to use the area for an oil pipeline that would bypass the Strait of Hormuz.
mintpressnews.com/new-routes-oil-pipeline-saudi-arabia-tightens-grip-al-mahrah-yemen/260572/

House opposes Trump's Iran war threat, repeals Bush 'war on terror' authorization
Mark Gruenberg | peoplesworld.org | 2019-07-16
WASHINGTON–By mostly party-line tallies, the Democratic-run U.S. House opposed President Donald Trump's presumed march towards war against Iran. Lawmakers also voted to repeal two prior war-making measures, approved in 2001 and 2002, originally OK'd for Republican President George W. Bush's so-called "war on terror" and his invasion of Iraq. The House vote against Trump's Iran …
peoplesworld.org/article/house-opposes-trumps-iran-war-threat-repeals-bush-war-on-terror-authorization/

Is Russia the Right Mediator In the Conflict Between Iran and the US?
unitedEditor | uwidata.com | 2019-07-16
With a first ever visit by a Japanese prime minister to Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, many Iranian commentators were quick to declare that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe the best hope for successful mediation between the US and Iran, since Tokyo has warm relations with both sides. Some have argued that pacifist Japan has …
uwidata.com/4311-is-russia-the-right-mediator-in-the-conflict-between-iran-and-the-us/

FBI Surveillance of Iranians After the 1988 Downing of Flight 655
Paul Gottinger | globalresearch.ca | 2019-07-16
This month marks 31 years since the U.S. Navy ship, the USS Vincennes, shot down Iran Air flight 655, killing 290 Iranian civilians, including 66 children. The downing of the airliner on July 3, 1988 remains one of the …
globalresearch.ca/fbi-surveillance-iranians-after-downing-flight-655/5683749

What Right Has Britain to Seize an Iranian Tanker Off Spain?
Gary Leupp | counterpunch.org | 2019-07-16
"We have reason to believe that the Grace 1 was carrying its shipment of crude oil to the Banyas Refinery in Syria. That refinery is the property of an entity that is subject to European Union sanctions against Syria." — Fabian Picardo, chief minister of Gibraltar…
counterpunch.org/2019/07/16/what-right-has-britain-to-seize-an-iranian-tanker-off-spain/

The UK Must Release the Iranian Tanker; The UAE's Mission to Tehran
Elijah J. Magnier | globalresearch.ca | 2019-07-16
Before Emmanuel Bonne, the special envoy of the French President Emmanuel Macron to Iran, visited President Hassan Rouhani, he promised to deal with the " Grace I" crisis between Iran and the UK. Iran considered the UK …
globalresearch.ca/uk-must-release-iranian-tanker-uaes-mission-tehran/5683746

Bikini Atoll has 1,000x radiation of Chernobyl decades after nuclear testing — study
rt.com | 2019-07-16
Radiation levels in the Marshall Islands, where the US government tested its nuclear arsenal during the Cold War, are even higher than those found in Fukushima and Chernobyl, according to a newly released peer-reviewed study. | …
rt.com/usa/464336-marshall-islands-radiation-testing-study/

Trump murdered the Iran Deal–and Europe isn't too happy about it
Vijay Prashad | mronline.org | 2019-07-15
During the July 14, 2019 meeting between France, Germany, and the UK to discuss their response to the U.S. withdrawal from the Iran Nuclear Deal, President Hassan Rouhani remarked that Iran is "always ready for negotiation." Iran, he said, urges the U.S. to "abandon bullying." | Source…
mronline.org/2019/07/15/trump-murdered-the-iran-deal-and-europe-isnt-too-happy-about-it/

UK Says They Will Release Iranian Oil Tanker After Guarantees of Destination
Jason Ditz | theantimedia.com | 2019-07-15
British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt spoke with his Iranian counterpart, Javad Zarif, over the phone on Saturday.

UK Says They Will Release Iranian Oil Tanker After Guarantees of Destination

"Radiating Insecurity": Will Europe Stand with "US Hooliganism", or Stand by Its Treaty Obligations to Iran?
Elijah J. Magnier | globalresearch.ca | 2019-07-15
Since the Iranian revolution took power in 1979, the world stood against Iran because it is an "Islamic Republic", unwilling to acknowledge and bow to US dominance of the Middle East and the entire world. I say the world because …
globalresearch.ca/will-europe-stand-us-hooliganism-stand-its-treaty-obligations-iran/5683527

Minneapolis stands with Iran, Venezuela, Cuba against U.S. sanctions regime
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2019-07-14
Minneapolis, MN – "Workers of the world, unite! Not 'workers of America unite' or 'workers who look like us, pray like us or love like us unite.' It's all workers," said union organizer David Gilbert-Pederson of Minnesota Workers United. "We have more in common with the tailor in Tehran than the bankers who crashed our economy. We have more in common with the bus driver in Caracas than the politicians locking kids in cages." | Gilbert-Pederson spoke to a protest on Lake Street, July 13, of over 80 people gathered to oppose recent U.S. war threats against Iran and Venezuela. Organized by the Minnesota Peace Action…
www.fightbacknews.org/2019/7/14/minneapolis-stands-iran-venezuela-cuba-against-us-sanctions-regime

The Strategic Importance of the Strait of Hormuz and Global Energy Security
unitedEditor | uwidata.com | 2019-07-14
The principle governing the world oil market is, simply put, supply and demand. When there is a balance between supply and demand in the oil market, prices remain stable. Based on assessments by geopolitical theorists, an open conflict in the Strait of Hormuz, and even the threat of a possible conflict, can have dangerous consequences …
uwidata.com/4261-the-strategic-importance-of-the-strait-of-hormuz-and-global-energy-security/

Yet another provocation in Hormuz Strait
unitedEditor | uwidata.com | 2019-07-13
The conflict between the UK and Iran around the oil tanker Grace 1 runs the risk of growing over into a war of tankers. CNN said on July 11 quoting a source at the U.S. Department of Defense that five Iranian naval vessels had approached the British Heritage tanker during the latter ship's transition from …
uwidata.com/4252-yet-another-provocation-in-hormuz-strait/

House Says Trump Can't Go to War With Iran Unless Congress Approves
Alex Emmons | theintercept.com | 2019-07-12
Democrats in the House of Representatives on Friday passed an amendment that would sharply restrict President Donald Trump's ability to attack Iran without congressional authorization, attaching the language to an annual must-pass defense bill. | The measure, which was sponsored by California Democrat Ro Khanna and Florida Republican Matthew Gaetz, would prohibit the Pentagon from spending money on any military action against Iran unless Congress has declared war or passed a resolution authorizing the administration to use force. The bill contains an exception for emergency situations in which U.S. armed forces a…
theintercept.com/2019/07/12/trump-iran-vote-congress/

Irán sale del acuerdo nuclear: ødebería preocuparse el mundo?
Mazda Majidi | liberationnews.org | 2019-07-11
Desde principios de julio, el presidente iraní Hassan Rouhani y otros funcionarios han estado anunciando la intención de Irán de ir más allá de las restricciones establecidas por el Plan de Acción Integral Conjunto (JCPOA por sus siglas en inglés).
liberationnews.org/iran-sale-del-acuerdo-nuclear-deberia-preocuparse-el-mundo/

Would Blacklisting Iran's IRGC and Increasing US Military Presence in the Persian Gulf Lead to Hostilities in the Strait of Hormuz?
unitedEditor | uwidata.com | 2019-07-11
PART I Washington's recent designation of Iran's elite, 125,000-member IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) as an FTO (Foreign Terrorist Organization) was more or less overlooked in the Western media as a typical story and lost in the short attention span of the daily news cycle. Without sounding too alarmist, the story actually signaled a rather …
uwidata.com/4193-would-blacklisting-irans-irgc-and-increasing-us-military-presence-in-the-persian-gulf-lead-to-hostilities-in-the-strait-of-hormuz/

War games promoted as 'cash splash' for war-weary public
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2019-07-11
Queensland's tourism boss Daniel Gschwind has welcomed the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan to Brisbane for the biannual US-Australia war games as a fantastic economic opportunity — a "cash splash for Queensland". | "Friendly visitors, eager to explore, pent-up demand to have a bit of relaxation and see a bit more of Queensland … the old stereotypes don't apply here necessarily anymore", he enthused on July 6. | The old stereotypes? He was likely referring to persistent a…
greenleft.org.au/content/war-games-promoted-cash-splash-war-weary-public

Australia must oppose war on Iran
pip.hinman | greenleft.org.au | 2019-07-11
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has pointedly refused to rule out Australian participation in a United States-led war on Iran. Shadow foreign affairs minister Penny Wong has also remained insistently equivocal when pressed to disavow any such military alliance. | Morrison and Wong have condemned Iran as the "leading state sponsor of terror" that has worked to "destabilise" the Greater Middle East. This is the familiar idiom of the US foreign policy establishment as it makes its case for the latest imperial excursion. | It is supposedly in our name that Morrison would send Australians to kill and die in Iran. A war…
greenleft.org.au/content/australia-must-oppose-war-iran

Iran breaks out of nuclear accord: Should the world be concerned?
Mazda Majidi | liberationnews.org | 2019-07-10
Since early July, President Hassan Rouhani and several other officials have been announcing Iran's intention to start going beyond the restrictions set by the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
liberationnews.org/iran-breaks-out-of-nuclear-accord-should-the-world-be-concerned/

"This Is Not a Surprise": U.S. Sanctions and Saber Rattling Led to Iran's Renewed Uranium Enrichment
Staff | democracynow.org | 2019-07-09
In ongoing fallout from the Trump administration's decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear accord, the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed on Monday that Iran has begun enriching uranium above the level agreed to by the 2015 nuclear deal. Iran has threatened to continue to increase their production of enriched uranium if European signatories of the nuclear deal do not help ease the impact of the U.S. sanctions. We speak with Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the new think tank, the Quincy Institute, and author of "Losing an Enemy: Obama, Iran, and the Triumph of Diplomacy."
www.democracynow.org/2019/7/9/trump_admin_iran_tensions_trita_parsi

Peligro de guerra en Irán: la maquinaria de guerra de EE. UU. "Amartillada y cargada"
Mazda Majidi | liberationnews.org | 2019-07-08
Una nueva guerra de agresión de Estados Unidos en el Medio Oriente apenas se ha sorteado.
liberationnews.org/peligro-de-guerra-en-iran-la-maquinaria-de-guerra-de-ee-uu-amartillada-y-cargada/

The Conflict with Iran Is Rooted in Two Views of History
Norman Stockwell | progressive.org | 2019-06-29
Author and retired Army colonel Andrew Bacevich puts the current flare in tensions with Iran in historical context.
progressive.org/dispatches/bacevich-stockwell-190629/

Most Senators Oppose War with Iran Without Congressional Approval
Paul Kawika Martin | peaceaction.org | 2019-06-28
Washington, D.C. — June 28, 2019 — In response to the Senate voting 50-40 in favor of an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to block funding for military action against Iran without congressional approval, Paul Kawika Martin, Senior Director for Policy and Political Affairs at Peace Action, released the following statement: "Because …
peaceaction.org/2019/06/28/most-senators-oppose-war-with-iran-without-congressional-approval/

Foreign Correspondent: The 'Trump Doctrine' Isn't Working
Reese Erlich | progressive.org | 2019-06-28
The Iranian government saw the President's vacillation as a sign of weakness, one journalist tells me: "Iran was ready to retaliate on an unbelievable scale."
progressive.org/dispatches/the-trump-doctrine-isnt-working-iran-erlich-190628/

US officials join bizarre Iranian cult MEK in rallying for regime change
Max Blumenthal | thegrayzone.com | 2019-06-28
The exiled Iranian MEK regime change cult rallied in front of the US State Department, just after Trump backtracked from…
thegrayzone.com/2019/06/27/us-officials-iranian-cult-mek-regime-change/

Peace Action Endorses Ilhan Omar for Congress
Peace Action | peaceaction.org | 2019-06-25
Washington, DC — June 25, 2019 — Peace Action has announced its endorsement of Ilhan Omar for Congress in Minnesota's 5th Congressional District. Peace Action is a national grassroots organization working to advance nuclear disarmament, promote government spending priorities that support human needs, encourage real security through international cooperation and human rights, and support nonmilitary …
peaceaction.org/2019/06/25/peace-action-endorses-ilhan-omar-for-congress-2/

Peace Action Endorses Kara Eastman for Congress
Peace Action | peaceaction.org | 2019-06-24
Washington, DC — June 24, 2019 — Peace Action has announced its endorsement of Kara Eastman for Congress in Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District. Peace Action is a national grassroots organization working to advance nuclear disarmament, promote government spending priorities that support human needs, encourage real security through international cooperation and human rights, and support nonmilitary …
peaceaction.org/2019/06/24/peace-action-endorses-kara-eastman-for-congress-bold-champion-for-peace-and-security/

Striking Iran Now Could Spark a Major War
Jon Rainwater | peaceaction.org | 2019-06-20
Washington, D.C. — June 20, 2019 — In response to reports that the Trump administration is considering strikes on Iran in response to the downing of a U.S. surveillance drone, Jon Rainwater, Executive Director of Peace Action, released the following statement: "The United States has stumbled into a perilous situation. If, for example, the U.S. …
peaceaction.org/2019/06/20/striking-iran-now-could-spark-a-major-war/

Peace Action Endorses Ayanna Pressley for Congress
Peace Action | peaceaction.org | 2019-06-17
Washington, DC — June 17, 2019 — Peace Action, the nation's largest grassroots peace organization, and its affiliate Massachusetts Peace Action, endorsed Ayanna Pressley for Massachusetts' 7th district. Peace Action is a national grassroots organization working to advance nuclear disarmament, promote government spending priorities that support human needs, encourage real security through international cooperation and …
peaceaction.org/2019/06/17/peace-action-endorses-ayanna-pressley-for-congress/

Sending More Troops to the Middle East is Adding Fuel to the Fire
Jon Rainwater | peaceaction.org | 2019-06-17
Washington, D.C. — June 17, 2019 — In response to the Trump administration's decision to send an additional 1,000 troops to the Middle East amidst escalating tensions with Iran, Jon Rainwater, Executive Director of Peace Action, released the following statement: "Rather than pursuing diplomatic off ramps to avert conflict with Iran, the Trump administration is …
peaceaction.org/2019/06/17/sending-more-troops-to-the-middle-east-is-adding-fuel-to-the-fire/